COEUR d’ALENE — A City Council workshop to discuss American Rescue Plan Act funds turned into a one-way shouting match Monday.

About 20 people showed up for a meeting in the Library Community Room that was expected to feature calm talks and staff presentations on how the city could use its $8.6 million share of COVID relief money from the federal government.

But the group disrupted things by shouting, interrupting, demanding they be heard and referring to Mayor Jim Hammond as a “tyrant.”

It reached a point the council took a recess after about 45 minutes. Police were present.

Hammond said he was taken aback by the hostility of the group.

He said Tuesday that in the many meetings he participated in during his years as mayor of Post Falls and as a state senator, he never had people yell at him. On Monday, when he asked them to stop, they just continued yelling.

Hammond considered it rude.

“That was disappointing, but we got through it,” he said.

The city received $4.3 million on May 19, 2021 from the U.S. Treasury under the American Rescue Plan Act and is scheduled to receive the same amount in May.

The funds can be used on eligible projects and purchases made within the period of March 3, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2024, according to the city agenda.

Hammond said the group did not want the city to accept the federal money because they said it came with strings attached that would bind the city to go along with executive orders from President Joe Biden.

The City Council, in a 5-1 vote, with Councilman Dan Gookin voting no, accepted the money, with $4.5 million earmarked for expansion of the police station.

Future meetings will be held to determine the best use for the rest of the money.

Just a few of the possibilities include fiber connectivity to Atlas waterfront; water security system at 22 well sites; message boards; library access control system and museum roof replacement.

Hammond said he asked city attorneys to look into the strings attached issue raised by the group.

“Initial review by our staff says not,” he said.

Hammond said he spoke with some of the people after the meeting.

“The ones I visited with were quite reasonable,” he said.

Councilman Woody McEvers arrived expecting a routine workshop. He was surprised to see a crowd.

“Normally, workshops don’t have very many people at them," he said.

They at times talked over the mayor, said they deserved to be heard and maintained the City Council should reject the money, McEvers said.

He said the crowd’s actions and words “felt disrespectful and angry.”

“These folks were something different,” he said.

Councilwoman Christie Wood said of the group, “They were there to disrupt our meeting, which is unfortunate,” as a workshop to determine best use of the federal funds was needed.

She said the police station is too small and needs to be expanded. If the city doesn’t take the ARPA money, it may have to try and pay for it through a bond, meaning local taxpayers would foot the bill.

“We need to focus on priorities, where we can best spend the money that will provide the biggest impact for our citizens,” she said.

Wood said the workshop was not a public hearing, which is the time for public input.

She said that the group yelling at Mayor Hammond was “really disrespectful, terrible behavior.”

“You can’t expect elected officials to give a lot of credence or respect to that kind of behavior,” she said.

Gookin said he believes that people are frustrated because they think those in office are not listening to them.

“They feel they haven’t been heard,” he said.

In September, Coeur d'Alene school board members were ushered out a back door after a shouting crowd shut down a special meeting where masking and quarantining were going to be discussed. The doors were kept closed by three law enforcement officers.

Gookin said he encouraged the group on Monday to be polite, and one woman said she would send him documents listing the strings that come with the ARPA money.

His understanding was, the grant money could be spent “pretty much on anything you want.”

But Gookin said he voted not to accept it on “philosophical grounds."

He referred to it as inflationary money that can have negative effects on those who can least afford it.

“Inflationary money makes the housing crisis worse,” he said.

Gookin said he also met with some people after the meeting. He told them they could offer public comment at the appropriate time at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

“They were obviously very passionate,” he said.

Councilwoman Kiki Miller said she supports the public’s right to give input and address the council, but it can’t be through screaming, interrupting and trying to drown out elected officials.

“If they have a point, that’s not the way to get it across,” Miller said.

She said the meeting was frustrating.

“It’s no fun trying to do good work and being intimidated and harassed,” Miller said.

Hammond said he had to laugh at being called a tyrant.

"I’m an easy going guy. The last thing I am is a tyrant," he said. "It almost for me is a compliment. Maybe I’m not such a pushover."